Martin County deal for Rio Village Mobile Home Park falls through

RIO — A March deal approved by County Commission to redevelop and revitalize the Rio Village Mobile Home Park has fallen through, county staffers said.

In a March 13 decision, the county commissioners voted 3-2 to pay PB&JB Management Company of Altamonte Springs $250,000 for the 2-acre property at 1055 N.E. Dixie Highway.

Martin County Community Redevelopment Agency staffers said the county no longer will purchase the occupied park, which is in disarray and has racked up an estimated $666,575 in code violations, because the terms of the deal abruptly changed this summer.

"The sale to the CRA fell through. The first mortgage lien holder refused to release their lien. The owners made a counteroffer, which was above the BOCC approved purchase price," said Community Development Director Kevin Freeman in an emailed statement. "I recommended to the CRA that they did not present that deal to the BOCC for approval. The CRA agreed and determined that the deal was not in the public's best interest."

The CRA voted to kill the deal at its June 20 meeting.

Freeman said the counteroffer was for $475,000 plus additional tax fees of $125,000.

As part of the original deal, Martin County was responsible for clearing the remaining estimated 30 mobile homes, and other structures from the property, Freeman said. The next step would have been to ask developers to respond to a request for proposals on how to redevelop the property in accordance with the wishes of Rio residents. In addition, commissioners agreed to reduce code violation fines on the property to $65,000.

Freeman hasn't ruled out future CRA assistance. He added the mobile home park soon may be purchased by another party.

"Since then I have spoken with the property owner, who has told me that they have another purchaser interested. Whoever purchases the mobile home park will have to address the outstanding code enforcement fees and remove the derelict structures as a matter of urgency," Freeman said.

"The CRA may consider assisting any property owner with the site clearance," Freeman said. "That agreement has not been discussed further and has yet to be formed. Any agreement would have to be formally approved."